India eyes 100 million FTAs by 2047, tourism GDP to touch 7% in 4 years: Shekhawat
SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT_TOURISM MINISTER
“The day tourism contributes 10% to the economy, it will become the second-largest employment-generating sector after agriculture,” Shekhawat said, during his interview with a national news agency.
India is aiming to increase foreign tourist arrivals tenfold, from the current 10 million to 100 million by 2047, while raising tourism's contribution to the country's GDP to the global benchmark of 10%, Union Tourism & Culture Minister, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat reiterated.
In his interview with PTI, Shekhawat laid out an ambitious roadmap for the sector, expressing confidence that tourism will emerge as one of India's largest generators of employment and foreign exchange as the country advances towards its Viksit Bharat 2047 vision.
“We will take foreign tourist arrivals from 10 million to 100 million by 2047,” the minister said, attributing the optimism to India's economic growth, improving infrastructure, decentralisation of tourism development and a changing global perception of the country.
Reflecting on India's evolving global image, Shekhawat said that a decade ago many Indians abroad hesitated to identify themselves as Indian and often introduced themselves as Asian first. According to him, international recognition of India was once largely limited to Mahatma Gandhi, whereas today the country enjoys far stronger visibility and recall globally.
“Today, if you tell people anywhere in the world that you are from India, there is an immediate recognition and positive response,” he said, adding that this shift gives him the conviction that India can scale foreign tourist arrivals from one crore to ten crore.
The minister said tourism currently contributes just under 6% to India's GDP, compared to the global average of around 10%. The government has set a target of crossing the 7% mark by 2030 before reaching the 10% benchmark by 2047.
“The day tourism contributes 10% to the economy, it will become the second-largest employment-generating sector after agriculture,” Shekhawat said.
Highlighting the sector's economic significance, he noted that tourism generated nearly USD 35 billion in foreign exchange earnings in 2024, accounting for about 1% of GDP, while creating direct and indirect employment for around 8.4 crore people in 2023-24.
Shekhawat also defended India's tourism potential against comparisons with destinations such as Thailand, Singapore and France, arguing that India's vast domestic tourism market is often overlooked. The country recorded nearly 300 crore domestic tourist visits in 2025, excluding the massive footfall recorded during the Maha Kumbh.
Acknowledging challenges including infrastructure gaps, cleanliness concerns, hotel room shortages, high accommodation costs and perceptions around safety and pollution, the minister said ongoing investments in roads, railways, aviation and tourism infrastructure would help address these issues and position India as a leading global tourism destination.
“In the coming years, India's growing economic prosperity and the rapid development of world-class infrastructure and facilities across the country will benefit many sectors. But if there is one sector that stands to gain the most from all of this, it is tourism. Tourism will be the biggest beneficiary,” he summed up.
(Source: PTI video interview)
